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In 2003, the Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry argued that the disease of addiction is viewed best in comparison to other relapsing diseases, like diabetes, asthma and hypertension. Addiction is a chronic disease of the brain reward system, so cravings can reemerge years after taking a final pill, hit or sip. The rate of relapse decreases significantly after the first year of sobriety, and even more so after the third year, but people can relapse at any stage of recovery, especially after a major life event. Recovering addicts must learn from relapse and make changes that foster sobriety. They may even need additional treatment. Read more

The sooner you understand your loved one’s condition, the sooner you can begin your own recovery journey

It is quite difficult to accept the fact that your loved one is an addict, but the sooner you understand your loved one’s condition, and the more carefully you prepare your heart and mind for this reality, then the sooner you can begin your own recovery journey. Adapting to this new reality is also critical if you want to be a positive influence for your addicted loved one. Understanding the psychological ramifications of addiction can also protect you from codependency. Read more

Drug addiction may lead to paranoia in some cases. Paranoia causes individuals to mistakenly assume the actions or motives of others are of a threatening nature. Those who suffer from paranoia may irrationally feel that everyone they know or come into contact with is against them. They are often suspicious and mistrusting of others, and as a result, they may behave in a manner that seems emotionally cold. They often feel tense and find it difficult to relax due to the fear that others are trying to harm or exploit them. Read more

While supporting a loved one through the aftermath of a traumatic experience, knowing what to say and do can be difficult. You want to share the burden of your loved one’s pain while still creating an environment that will allow healing. Read more

Addiction affects everyone around the user, and a user’s family can tell you that first hand. Therefore, educating a California family about the risks of addiction and also about the value of addiction treatment can greatly influence recovery and encourage prevention in the future. If a user’s family understands addiction, what it means for the user and how addiction treatment can help, they will be more likely to be actively involved in treatment. In short, the more a family helps an addict, the more likely she is to recover from this debilitating condition. An active California family will provide a user with a better chance at a successful addiction recovery. Read more

It can be an incredibly overwhelming and helpless feeling to watch your loved one in California overdose. The adrenaline rush that will get you through the medical emergency aspect will soon wear off once your loved one’s physical health is in a stable state. The problem that now needs to be addressed is that simply restoring your loved one to a relatively good state of physical health will not solve the problem that led to the overdose. Read more

People with a family member who is an addict often experience an array of emotional strain because of the behavior of their addicted loved one. Never having been in the grip of an addictive substance they simply may not comprehend how someone can act that way. An intervention results when family members feel they have reached a crisis point and something must be done. If the person shows up to the intervention high on their drug of choice, family members may be horrified. Interventions are usually surprise affairs, but typically use some pretext as a ruse to get the addict to attend; if the addicted person shows up to the “family meeting” high, family members may feel disrespected and may take it as one more piece of evidence that the person’s drug use is out of control. Read more

Holding an intervention is always a delicate situation. After all, the act of staging one of these meetings means that someone’s behavior has reached a point to which others think they must step in to avert disaster. An intervention nearly always involves an addict of some sort, whether to drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex or shopping. The mind of an addict does not function normally or rationally, so addicts can be extremely difficult to deal with. Even in the best of circumstances, an intervention has a chance of failure. Read more

Wanting to help a loved one put an end to his or her addiction struggle is commendable, but addiction is a delicate issue. Most people do not have the knowledge or experience to approach the situation alone. Chances are a loved one will react poorly when confronted about addictive behavior; denial, anger or even playing it off as a joke may be the response.Read more

Recovering from addiction is a challenging process. If your loved one is recovering from addiction, she will benefit greatly from the support of family and friends. In fact, a good support network can be a critical component of a successful recovery and may even make the difference between success and failure.

When emotionally supporting a recovering addict, it is extremely important to remember that your loved one suffers from a disease. Addiction is a disease that takes over the mind and will of the afflicted person. As with some other diseases, patients may have made poor lifestyle choices that contributed to the onset of the disease, but that does not mean that he is a bad person. Furthermore, much of the addictive behavior that you may have witnessed can be attributed to the disease, and it is likely that your loved one will feel bad about his past behavior once in recovery. It is critical to be supportive and empathetic and to avoid the natural tendency to judge. Keep in mind that your loved one has made a difficult decision to enter treatment, is likely to be apprehensive at the prospect of an uncertain future and can use all the support you can muster.Read more